Samson DMS80 User Manual

OWNERS MANUAL

DMS80

DESKTOP

MONITOR SYSTEM

STEREO 40W X 2 MIXER

FULL RANGE SPEAKERS

®

ENGLISH

INTRODUCTION 3
FEATURES 4
OPERATING NOTES 5
CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS 6
INSTALLATION 11
TROUBLESHOOTING 13
SPECIFICATIONS 14

FRANCAIS

INTRODUCTION 15
DESCRIPTION 16
NOTES D’UTILISATION 17
RÉGLAGES ET FONCTIONS 18
INSTALLATION 23
ASSISTANCE TECHNIQUE 25
CARACTÉRISTIQUES TECHNIQUES 26

DEUTSCHE

EINLEITUNG 27
BESCHREIBUNG 28
BEDIENUNGSANWEISUNGEN 29
EINSTELLUNGEN UND FUNKTIONEN 30
AUFBAU UND ANSCHLUß 35
FEHLERSUCHE 37
TECHNISCHE DATEN 38

ESPANOL

INTRODUCCION 39
CARACTERISTICAS 40
NOTAS OPERATIVAS 41
FUNCIONES Y CONTROLES 42
INSTALACION 47
RESOLUCION DE PROBLEMAS 49
ESPECIFICACIONES TECNICAS 50

2

CONTENTS

Thank you for purchasing the Samson DMS80 Desktop Monitor System.
The DMS80 is a compact true high fidelity sound system.The DA80, a
highly advanced stereo amplifier and the M40 full range speakers were
developed specifically for use with keyboard setups, project studios, and
computer multimedia systems.The DMS80 incorporates audio technolo­gy that improves and enhances the sound of your entire system.To get
more details for setting up and operating the DMS80, please refer to
this manual thoroughly.
With proper ventilation and adequate air circulation, the DMS80 will
operate trouble free for many years.We recommend you record your
serial number in the space provided below for future reference.

Serial number:
Date of purchase:

Should your unit ever require servicing, a

Return Authorization number
(RA) must be obtained before shipping your unit to Samson.Without
this number, the unit will not be accepted.Please call Samson at 1-800­3SAMSON (1-800-372-6766) for a Return Authorization number prior to
shipping your unit. Please retain the original packing materials and if
possible return the unit in the original carton and packing materials.

3

INTRODUCTION

ENGLISH

FEATURES

Features:

• DA80 Amplifier produces 40 watts per channel into 8 ohms

• Extremely compact (1.6″ / 41mm H) all metal amplifier chassis is

strong enough to support up to 40 lbs (18kg)

• Stereo 5-band Graphic Equalizer with In/Out switch

• LED level meters

• Mono Sub-woofer line out (left and right combined) with level control

• Gold-plated RCA terminals, Mic and Headphone jacks

• Pair of M40 2-way full-range shielded speakers (5

1

⁄4″ woofer; dome

tweeter)

• Dual-induction toroidal power supply assures almost zero RFI and

EMI emissions to protect computer data

• Switched stereo Line input

• Switched stereo Aux/CD input

• Stereo Headphone jack

•

1

⁄4″ Mic/Instrument input and level control on front panel

• Line level output

4

ENGLISH

• Do not connect speakers and turn on power until you have read this

manual thoroughly.

• While unpacking the DMS80 inspect all items for quality of appear-

ance and physical damage.If shipping damage has occurred,
immediately notify your dealer.

• The DMS80 has been specially designed with vents placed on the

bottom, sides and top of the metal cabinet. If you decide to place a
computer monitor on top of the DA80 and depending on the size of
your monitor’s suppor t base, some or most of the top vents may be
covered by the monitor base. This is perfectly acceptable and will
not cause the DA80 to overheat.

• The M40 speakers were designed specifically for the DA80, but

other speakers can be used as long as the impedance is not less
than 6 ohms. Use of lower impedance speakers may damage the
DA80 or any equipment sitting on top of it.Low impedance speakers
will cause the DA80 to operate at higher temperatures, creating
sound distortion, and may damage the speakers.

• Do not expose the DA80 to dust or moisture and be sure to wipe it

clean of any dust regularly.

• Do not connect a non-amplified subwoofer speaker directly to the

DA80 or the warranty will be void. Damage may occur to sub out
line level output circuitry.

OPERATING NOTES

5

ENGLISH

1. POWER SWITCH

Depress the POWER switch to turn the DA80 on. The POWER LED
indicator will light when the power is on. Release the POWER
switch to turn the DA80 off.

2.

MASTER VOLUME CONTROL

The MASTER VOLUME control regulates the signal level of the
LINE input, AUX/CD input and MIC/INST. input to the SPEAKER
OUTPUTS, SUB OUT and Headphone jack. However, it does not
affect the Line output level.

NOTE:Volume level is also affected by the volume of the signals
being fed into the DA80’s LINE inputs, AUX/CD inputs and
MIC/INST. input and level control setting. If normal listening volume
is not attainable, with the DA80’s MASTER VOLUME control set to
the mid position, adjust the signal source volume of the equipment
coming into the DA80.

3.

BALANCE CONTROL

The BALANCE Control regulates the relative left and right levels of
the LINE, AUX and MIC/INST. inputs to the speaker and headphone
outputs.

4.

FIVE BAND STEREO GRAPHIC EQUALIZER

Adjust the five center detented slide controls to customize the
sound to your personal preference or to compensate for acoustics in
the listening room. Each of the five EQ sliders will give you 12dB of
boost or attenuation in its particular frequency band and in turn will
affect the overall output signal of the DA80.

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

6

Front Control Panel

ENGLISH

21

POWER VOLUME BALANCE LINE AUX/CD

•

•

•

DESKTOP

MONITOR SYSTEM

STEREO 40W X2 MIXER

DA80

•

•

•

•

•

ON OFF

MIN MAX LEFT RIGHT LEVEL

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•

SAMSON

13

11

3

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4

60Hz 250Hz 1KHz 3.5KHz 12KHz

+12db

+12db

+12db

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•

•

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•

•

0db

0db

0db

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•

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-12db

-12db

-12db

5 BAND GRAPHIC EQUALIZER

5

SUB

+12db

MAX

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•

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0db

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•

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-12db

MIN

LEVEL

6

EQ MIC/INST.

ON OFF

8

7

9

100%

R

L

75%

I

E

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G

F

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50%

H

T

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T

25%

12

10

MIC/INST. MIC/INST.INPHONES

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60Hz: Boost to bring out kick drum, bass guitar or to add more low

end “punch” to a mix. Cutting this frequency can help clean
up a muddy sound.

250Hz: Adjusts the mid bass range. Boost to add “warmth” to vocals

and strings.The cello and the low strings of a rhythm guitar
fall into this range.Cut to eliminate over powering low end.

1kHz: Boosting this range enhances vocals, snare drum and per-

cussive instruments, while cutting this range may make
vocals blend into the background.

3.5kHz: Boost to add “bite” to the guitar, vocals or solo instrument.

Cut this range to eliminate harshness.

12kHz: A proper adjustment here “brightens” the sound, while too

much high frequency can make the total sound effect sharp
and add unwanted noise and hiss.

5.

SUB LEVEL CONTROL

The SUB (Sub Woofer) LEVEL slide control raises or lowers a mono
line level signal to the SUB OUT MONO output.The signal combines
the left and right inputs and passes through a low pass filter.Because
this is a line level signal, it must be used with a power amplifier and
subwoofer speaker or go directly to a powered subwoofer.

NOTE: The VOLUME control acts as a master level control. It regu­lates the sound level of both the speakers and the subwoofer sys­tem together.

6.

LINE SWITCH

Depress the LINE switch to its On position to select the audio signal
from the LINE IN inputs. Release the LINE switch to its Off position
to mute the audio signal from the LINE IN inputs.

7.

AUX/CD SWITCH

Depress the AUX/CD switch to its On position to select the audio
signal from the AUX/CD inputs.Release the AUX/CD switch to its
Off position to mute the audio signal from the AUX/CD inputs.

8.

EQ SWITCH

Depress the EQ switch to its On position to activate the preset
EQUALIZER slide controls. Release the EQ switch to its Off position
to bypass the EQ circuitry.

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

7

ENGLISH

9. MIC/INST. SWITCH

Depress the MIC/INST. (Microphone/Instrument) switch to its On
position to select the audio signal from the MIC/INST. inputs.
Release the MIC/INST. switch to its Off position to mute the audio
signal from the MIC/INST. inputs.This is used in combination with
the MIC/INST. LEVEL Control (see 11 below).

10.

SOUND LEVEL METER

The sound level meter is used for visual monitoring of the sound
levels and signals being processed within the DA80.The meter is a
perfect tool for setting balance between the stereo channels or for
checking the DA80’s output level to the speakers.

11.

MIC/INST LEVEL CONTROL

The MIC/INST LEVEL control regulates the volume of any micro­phone or instrument plugged into the

1

⁄4″ MIC/INST. jack.

12. MIC/INST. JACK

The 1⁄4″ unbalanced TRS MIC/INST. Jack is designed to accommo-
date high and low impedance microphones as well as electric
instruments.

13.

HEADPHONE JACK

The 1⁄4″ stereo headphone jack is designed for private listening and
automatically deactivates the speakers and sub mono out when
headphones are plugged into the headphone jack.

CAUTION:Check for accidental high volume settings. Serious injur y
may result to the user’s hearing. Be sure not to plug in headphones
at any time unless the master VOLUME control is set to the position
marked MIN.

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

8

ENGLISH

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

9

Rear Panel

1. SPEAKER OUT

This push-spring terminal strip is the amplified output which powers
the speakers.Any non-amplified speakers may be used as long as
they are rated to meet a 6 ohm to 8 ohm impedance.There will be
no output when headphones are inserted into the headphone jack.

CAUTION: Be sure power to the DA80 is off before connecting the
speakers.Be sure none of the wire strands make contact with other
speaker terminals or the DA80’s protection circuitry will shut that
channel down and no sound will be heard until the wire is removed.

NOTE: Plugging headphones into the front panel headphone jack
will mute any signal to the SPEAKER OUTPUTS as well as to the
SUB OUT MONO output.

2. LINE IN

The LINE IN jacks accept audio signal input from any equipment
with line level outputs. This will include any keyboard or sound mod­ule, line level from any mixer or the output of your computer’s sound
processing board. Use the provided shielded cable accessory for
connection.There is no separate volume for the LINE IN, so adjust­ments to the equipment connected to the LINE IN jacks may be
necessary to balance them with equipment plugged into other
inputs.

ENGLISH

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

LEFT+ LEFT- RIGHT+RIGHT-

SAMSON

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE 8Ω

DESKTOP MONITOR SYSTEM STEREO 40W X2 MODEL:DA80

1

LINE IN

AUX/CD IN

RIGHTLEFT RIGHTLEFT RIGHT MONOLEFT

2

3

LINE OUT SUB OUT

SERIAL

NUMBER

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

WARNING

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT

TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

AVIS

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRONIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION

FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION AGAINST RISK

OF FIRE, REPLACE ONLY WITH SAME TYPE FUSE

ATTENTION

UTILISER UN FUSIBLE DE
RECHANGE DE MÊME TYPE

7654

NOTE: Signals to the LINE IN will be amplified only when the LINE
switch on the front panel is depressed to its on position.

3.

AUX/CD IN

The AUX/CD IN jacks accept audio signal input from any external
CD or CD ROM player, stereo receiver, audio mixer, video board or
VCR.

NOTE: Signals to the AUX/CD IN will be amplified only when the
AUX/CD switch on the front panel is depressed to its in position.

4.

LINE OUT

The LINE OUT provides line level output of the LINE input, AUX/CD
input and MIC/INST. input signals, unaffected by the Master VOL­UME Control, BALANCE Control or GRAPHIC EQUALIZER.

5.

SUB OUT MONO

Connect the SUB OUT MONO output to the line in of an additional
amplifier and subwoofer or powered subwoofer system. Since sub­woofer signals are normally mono, only one cable is used between
the DA80 and the subwoofer system. The SUB OUT MONO has
been designed to provide +6dB of line level output gain for a sepa­rated amplifier or self contained subwoofer system equipped with a
built-in amplifier.

CAUTION: Do not connect a non-amplified subwoofer speaker
directly to the DA80’s SUB OUT MONO output or the warranty will
be void. Damage may occur to the sub line level output circuitry.

NOTE: Plugging Headphones into the front panel headphone jack
will mute any signal to the SUB OUT MONO output as well as to the
SPEAKER OUTPUTS.

6.

FUSE

The fuse provides protection for the DA80. The fuse will blow if there
is an overload condition, high demand for power amplification or
extremely low speaker impedance. Replacement size is a standard
F3A miniature fuse (5mm x 20mm) for 115V systems or T2A for
230V systems. If a fuse continues to blow, please contact Samson
service at 1-800-3SAMSON (1-800-372-6766).

7.

AC INLET

Connect the supplied standard 3-pin “IEC” plug to the AC INLET.

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

10

ENGLISH

NOTE: Please read the Operating Notes Section (pg. 4) of this manual

before connection or attempting to operate the DMS80.

1. Unpack the DMS80. Find a secure place where the DA80 and M40

speakers will be used.The DA80 amplifier is strong enough to sup­port 40 lbs. (18kg) and can be placed under a computer monitor if
so desired. Make sure the DA80 is on a hard surface, (to allow air
flow to the bottom vents) especially if the top air vents are being
blocked by a monitor base.

2. Connect the speakers to the DA80.Strip approximately

3

⁄8″ of insula-
tion off each end of the speaker wire.Twist each end.While
depressing the red or black push-spring speaker terminals on the
rear of the DA80, insert the speaker wire into the connectors.
Release the push-spring and be sure that the wire is securely held
in place. Connect the other end of the wire to the speaker terminals
in the same fashion while observing speaker polarity. See diagram
below.

NOTE: Any non-amplified speakers may be used as long as they
are rated to meet a 6 ohm to 8 ohm impedance.

INSTALLATION

11

3. Connect the SUBWOOFER (optional). Connect the SUB OUT
MONO jack to a powered subwoofer speaker system or to an ampli­fier powering a subwoofer speaker. Because this is a line level out­put, a shielded cable must be used for this connection. The SUB
LEVEL regulates the volume to the subwoofer after the MASTER
VOLUME Control. Adjust the SUB LEVEL control until a good blend
between the subwoofer and speakers is achieved.

ENGLISH

To Powered Subwoofer or
Power Amp for Subwoofer

(optional)

– +

INPUT

+

–

SPEAKER OUTPUTS

LEFT- RIGHT+RIGHT-

LEFT+

SAMSON

LINE IN AUX IN

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE 4-8Ω

LEFT

RIGHT

DESKTOP MONITOR SYSTEM STEREO 40W X2 MODEL:DA80

LINE OUT

SUB OUT

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

LEFT

LEFT

MONO

RIGHT

RIGHT

WARNING

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT

TO RAIN OR MOISTURE

AVIS

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRONIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION

FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION AGAINST RISK
OF FIRE, REPLACE ONLY WITH SAME TYPE FUSE

ATTENTION

UTILISER UN FUSIBLE DE

RECHANGE DE MÊME TYPE

SERIAL

NUMBER

MADE IN CHINA

–

– +

INPUT

12

INSTALLATION

4. Before connecting the DA80 to an AC outlet, make sure the
POWER switch is off (out position) and the MASTER VOLUME and
MIC/INST. LEVEL controls are rotated completely counter-clock­wise. Connect the “IEC” cord to the AC INPUT on the rear of the
DA80 and to a grounded AC outlet.

5. Connect input devices to the LINE IN (keyboard, sound module, line
level from mixer, output from computer sound board), AUX/CD IN
(CD player, stereo receiver, audio mixer, video board, VCR) and or
MIC/INST. IN (microphone, electronic instrument). Make sure the
LINE, AUX/CD and MIC/INST.switches are all in the off (out) posi­tion.

6. Depress the POWER switch to its On position.The POWER LED
will light when the power is on. If LED is not lit, check your AC outlet
connections and refer to the troubleshooting Section (pg.12) of this
manual.

7. Adjust the audio controls with reference to the Controls and
Functions Section (pg. 5) of this manual

8. With the output levels of all the input devices at a minimum and the
MASTER VOLUME of the DA80 set half-way, slowly adjust the out­put levels of each input device to a desired listening volume and
balance. If the MIC/INST. input is being used, adjust the MIC/INST
LEVEL until a good balance is achieved.

9. To acquire a balance of input devices through the LINE OUT (for
recording etc.) use the technique described above (#8) with the
exception of the MASTER VOLUME.The MASTER VOLUME con­trols volume to the speakers and headphones and does not affect
the LINE OUT.

ENGLISH

• No sound. Power LED is not lit.

Reinsert the power cord of the unit into an alternate outlet. If the
power outlet is good, unplug the DA80 from the outlet and check the
fuse. If the fuse is blown, replace it with a standard F3A miniature
fuse (5mm x 20mm) for 115V systems or T2A for 230V systems. If
the fuse blows again, do not replace with a larger ampere rated
fuse. Call Samson Customer Service for assistance at
1-800-3SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)

• No sound, Power LED is lit.

1. Make sure all the cables sending audio signal to the DA80 are

secure and the corresponding switches are depressed to the on
position.

2. Volume level settings of equipment sending audio signal to the

DA80 should be checked and adjusted higher.

3. Make sure speaker wires are not shorted (direct connection of

the + and - terminal) causing the internal speaker protection cir­cuitry to shut down the amplifier.

• Volume too low or very distorted.

Volume level setting or the sound card should be checked.Adjust
the sound card volume higher. Continue adjusting until the sound
level is balanced to the amplifier.

• The DMS80 becomes very hot and sound distorts.

The speakers are shorting. Recheck the wiring at the ter minals or
additional speakers which may have dropped the load impedance
below 6 ohms. Speakers rated lower than 6 ohms will create a high
operational temperature and damage will occur to the DA80.

• Noise or static coming from the speakers continuously or inter­mittently.

If your computer audio out is connected to the DA80 and your PC is
equipped with an 8 or 16-bit sound card and the sound playing has been
loaded from the hard disk, it is likely the noise is coming from the PC soft­ware.Older sound cards and software sometimes deliv er noisy perfor­mance.Adjust the EQ to eliminate unwanted noise.Ne w er sound cards
and software which play sound from a CD ROM are not as likely to gen­erate as much noise.Also check the DA80’s performance by connecting
a home audio CD player to the AUX/CD input. If noise is no longer pre­sent you can be certain the static was generated by the computer.

TROUBLESHOOTING

13

ENGLISH

DA80:

Nominal Signal Levels

Line In: -10dBu
Aux/CD In: -10dBu
Mic/Inst. In: -50dBu
Line Out: -10dBu

Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.05% at 1kHz
Input Impedance

Line, Aux/CD in: 10k Ohms
Mic/Inst. in: >1megΩ

Graphic EQ: (60Hz, 250Hz, 1kHz, 3.5kHz, 12kHz)

±12 dB

Power Rating (per channel): 40 Watts into 6–8 Ohms at less than 1% THD

(typically < 0.3% THD)

Input Sensitivity

40 watts into 8 Ohms: 250mV r ms
1 Watt into 8 Ohms: 40mV

Damping factor: 20Hz—20kHz >80
Rise Time: 5kHz, 70V peak to peak square wave,

20% to 80%; 15Vµs
Dynamic Range: 80dB
Signal to noise ratio: 72dB
Frequency Response: 12Hz to 45kHz +0/-3dB any power level up

to 40 Watts into 8 Ohms
Power Supply: 115VAC (US version) 230V (European)

Speakers:

Power Rating: 40 watts
Impedance: 6–8Ω
Frequency response: 40Hz to 18kHz
Magnet: Shielded

14

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGLISH

Nous tenons à vous remercier de la confiance que vous nous témoignez en
choisissant le Système d’écoute DMS80 de Samson. Le DMS80 est un système
compact de reproduction sonore haute fidélite. Le DA80, un amplificateur stéréo
très sophistiqué, et les enceintes large bande M40 ont été spécialement conçus
pour les claviers, les studios de maquettes et les systèmes informatiques multi­média. La technologie audio du DMS80 permet d’améliorer le rendu sonore de
vos équipements audio.N’hésitez pas à parcourir ce manuel afin d’y trouver
tous les détails que vous souhaitez concernant l’installation et l’utilisation du
DMS80.

S’il dispose d’une ventilation suffisante et d’une circulation d’air adaptée, le
DMS80 fonctionnera sans encombre pendant de longues années.Nous vous
recommandons d’inscrire votre numéro de série dans l’espace réservé ci­dessous afin de pouvoir vous y reporter ultérieurement.

Numéro de série
Date d’achat

Pour toute assistance technique, veuillez contacter votre revendeur. Veuillez
conserver l’emballage d’origine afin de pouvoir y transporter votre appareil.

15

INTRODUCTION

FRANCAIS

DESCRIPTION

Description :

• L’amplificateur DA80 délivre 40 Watts par canal dans 8 Ohms.

• Le boîtier métallique extrêmement compact de l’amplificateur (sa hauteur

est de 41 mm) peut supporter un poids de 18 kg.

• Correcteur graphique stéréo 5 bandes avec touche de mise en/hors ser-

vice.

• Afficheurs de niveau à LED.

• Sor tie ligne mono de subwoofer (signaux gauche et droit confondus) avec

réglage de niveau.

• Embases RCA plaqué or, connecteurs microphone et casque.

• Deux enceintes blindées M40 large bande à 2 voies (subwoofer 13,5 mm ;

tweeter à dôme)

• Le transformateur d’alimentation torique à double secondaire vous assure

une absence quasi totale d’interférences radio et électromagnétiques : vos
données informatiques sont ainsi protégées.

• Sélecteur stéréo d’entrée ligne.

• Sélecteur stéréo d’entrée Aux/CD.

• Connecteur de casque stéréo.

• Entrée Micro/Instrument en jack 6,35 mm et réglage de niveau en façade.

• Sor tie de niveau ligne.

16

FRANCAIS